Tag Archives: dc comcis

Aquaman rises from the abyss with Sideshow’s Lord of the Deep Premium Format Figure

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Sideshow’s Mythos collection captures the limitless, untold potential of fan-favorite characters across many multiverses. As a collection, Mythos adds unique artistic storytelling to the most popular fictional people and places, taking key themes and expanding them into anything our imagination can conceive of.

In collaboration with Warner Bros. Discovery Global Consumer Products, the Aquaman: Lord of the Deep Premium Format Figure by Sideshow utilizes eldritch horror elements to tell a tale of an aging Arthur Curry whose body has melded with his watery home. Measuring 26 inches tall, 16 inches wide, and 15.3 inches deep, Aquaman rises from the trenches into a base of tumultuous, translucent waves. Barnacles and flesh, kelp and costume, all appear indiscernible at every angle as he becomes one with the creatures and environment he has sworn to protect. Whether his sacred duty has transformed him into a beast or a savior is a question best left to the sea and sand.
 
Inspired by the character’s comic book appearance, this fully sculpted statue presents an eerie guardian covered in crustaceans, fish scales, and other cold-blooded components. Distressed metallic paint on his rusted armor echoes a shipwreck long forgotten in the cold, unforgiving ravines of the ocean floor. Aquaman wields a weathered gold trident while he marches forward, braced for battle and bearing all the scars of his past. A red squid joins him from fathoms deep, and as the hero’s own green tentacles join it, man becomes myth … becomes monster.
 
Let the tide carry the Aquaman: Lord of the Deep Premium Format Figure to your collection. Available to pre-order now.

Detective Comics Celebrates #950 this February

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It’s a major milestone for Detective Comics this February when issue #950 hits the shelves. From the first appearance of the World’s Greatest Detective until now, the past and present are united in one of the greatest, and longest lasting comic books in history.  A love letter to your favorite Caped Crusader, Detective Comics #950 is an extra-large issue filled with Batman Family action and will serve as a prologue to an exciting new story arc, “League of Shadows,” which begins late February from writer James Tynion IV.

The lead story puts Cassandra Cain in sharp focus, setting the stage for the next epic spring storyline, “The League of Shadows,” with art by the phenomenal Marcio Takara. There are a lot of questions left unanswered about Orphan—her past, her mind and her silence. They’re going to start answering them here, and opening up a whole new world of questions that will open up all sorts of new, exciting stories.

But that wasn’t enough. This issue celebrates this landmark with the artists who have defined the Rebirth run of Detective…all in the same single issue, for the first time. There’s a Batwing/Azrael story by Alvaro Martinez and Raul Fernandez, which really introduces Jean-Paul Valley into the fold of the series, setting the stage for some tremendous threats emerging from his past…and a third story by Eddy Barrows and Eber Ferreira that’s so secret DC can’t even hint at what you might find in it. It is a short that sets the stage for the next year of Batman stories, not just in Detective, but for the entire line. 

Detective Comics #950 is out February 8th.

Check out the artwork below.

Page 1 by artist Marcio Takara and Dean White

dc-950-pg-01Page 25 by Alvaro Martinez, Raul Fernandez, and Brad Anderson

dc-950-pg-25

Page 35 by Eddy Barrows, Eber Ferreira, and Adriano Lucas

dc-950-pg-35

Review: Green Arrow: Rebirth #1

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Green Arrow Rebirth #1 CoverTogether again for the first time, the Emerald Archer meets Black Canary. Questioning everything Green Arrow believes in, Dinah Lance throws the hero’s world upside down, forcing him to question what he cares about more: his morals or his money?

While I haven’t follow Green Arrow as much as some other DC Comics characters, I know he’s one of the most political of the bunch, with a proud left bent to his politics. During his New 52 run, the character slid from those roots, but as stated in Green Arrow: Rebirth #1, the Social Justice Warrior is back and wearing that badge with pride.

The comic just begins with those politics thrown right into our faces which not just sets up Green Arrow’s politics, but what we should expect that sets him apart from so many other hooded heroes. This is one who justifies his wealth to help fund his actions and those actions extend beyond just his bow and arrow.

Green Arrow Rebirth page 1The comic also sets up a lot with the reunion of Green Arrow and Black Canary. Without me knowing a lot of the history, the connection between the two doesn’t quite hit me like it would others, but it’s a nice way to really set up Green Arrow’s philosophy and his actions.

The comic also has some nice symbolism as it transitions from the old to the new with Oliver shaving and returning to the somewhat iconic goatee.

Writer Benjamin Percy does what he needs to do here for me, getting me interested in seeing what’s to come and at the some time taking the character back to his front and center politics. It’s something that isn’t common in comics and I want to see where it goes.

Otto Schmidt on art has a cool style about it that reminds me more of what we’ve seen in Black Canary’s recent series than Green Arrow’s. It’s a cool look that just feels like it fits the vibe of the characters and issue.

The issue has me wanting to see what comes next and has me interested in checking it out. While it feels more like a fresh start than some of the other Rebirth titles, it achieves its goal in getting me interested. It looks like Green Arrow is going back to being the Social Justice Warrior, and that’s something I can’t wait to see in comics.

Story: Benjamin Percy Art: Otto Schmidt
Story: 7.7 Art: 7.9 Overall: 7.7 Recommendation: Read

DC Comics provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review

Review: New Suicide Squad #1 Annual

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SSAnnualThe Suicide Squad makes its final push against the League, an offshoot of the League of Assassins, with each member of Task Force X at a cross roads of who they are, and who they want to become.

The most interesting thing about the Suicide Squad is the interactions between characters. These are inherently not good people. Each of them is a violent criminal, forced to do good. This creates an incredibly interesting dynamic as each person struggles to find their own sense of identity in a world where they are told what is right and wrong; causing them to question their own beliefs. The most interesting of the dynamics comes between Harley Quinn and the Reverse Flash as they fight through the League’s base. Their struggle comes from trying to find out if they can become more than their violent past has led them to believe they are. It is this search for understanding of oneself, that author Sean Ryan truly shows his grasp on who these people are. Moments such as watching Deadshot struggle with his physical limitations, making him rethink who he is, or Black Manta searching for some larger purpose he feels he has been missing as he battles with the League ideals after he infiltrates their ranks, are the high point of this story. The actually story involving the League is less important, as it mainly serves as background to who the Squad is becoming, but, it still wraps up very nicely and the ending is both captivating and creates an interesting set up for the next issue.

The only real problem with this issue is the price point. New Suicide Squad #1 Annual feels like just another comic book wrapping up a long arc. The story comes in at 42 pages but, the story never uses the full extent of that to turn this from a slightly longer comic book finale, into an actual one time event like an annual should be. It does not seem like a story that is fully worth the $4.99 price tag despite how well it is put together.

The artwork does exactly what it needs to here and does not distract from the story. It is a very clean style that allows the story to flow smoothly and at no point is there a panel that seems off or in any way unnatural in the course of the narrative. Artist Phil Briones does a very commendable job switching from character to character and scene to scene, considering the vast array of events and emotions on display.

Overall, this is one of the stronger recent issues of Suicide Squad with the entire arc coming to a very satisfying close however, it just does not quite feel unique enough to warrant the annual label.

Story: Sean Ryan Art: Phil Briones
Story: 8 Art:7 Overall: 7.5 Recommendation: Read

Injustice: Gods Among Us Avatar Costumes

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The Injustice: Gods Among Us demo is now live on PSN and Xbox Live. Also released are items for avatars associated with the game on the Xbox Live Marketplace. There’s many available items from characters such as Wonder Woman, Superman, Batman such as logo shirts, etc, there’s two that have stood out as they hint at two more playable characters not yet announced. The costumes for Killer Frost and Ares can be seen below.

Every other available costume is for one of the game’s many playable characters, there’s a good chance we’ll be seeing these two in game as well, maybe as future downloads, maybe as unlockable items.

xboxcostumes(via Joystiq)